ADEN, Yemen, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Two soldiers were killed and several others wounded on Thursday in an attack by al-Qaeda militants in southeastern Yemen's province of Shabwa, according to the local government.
The attack targeted local forces in Khawrah, a mountainous area in western Shabwa, the local government said in a social media post.
The local government condemned the attack, saying repeated militant assaults were threatening efforts to maintain security and stability across the province.
Meanwhile, a local government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that militants from Yemen-based al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) had "stepped up activities in Shabwa's mountainous areas" in recent months, using the rugged terrain to regroup and launch attacks against local forces.
There was no immediate statement from AQAP regarding the reported attack.
AQAP has exploited years of conflict and weakened state authority to maintain a presence in remote parts of southern and eastern Yemen.
Yemen's conflict erupted in late 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government. ■
